The present invention relates to the use of hydrophilic, open-celled polymer carrier masses which float in water as carriers in biochemical conversion processes and in particular in the biochemical purification of effluent.
The use of inorganic or organic carrier materials for biological conversion processes, in particular for the biological purification of effluent, is known. Typical of the carrier materials used are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,718 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,402,697), and 4,608,397 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,402,698), and U.S. application Ser. No. 672,439, filed Nov. 16, 1984 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,402,696), U.S. application Ser. No. 884,681, filed July 11, 1986 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,526,185), and U.S. application Ser. No. 887,017, filed July 18, 1986 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,526,184), and U.S. application Ser. No. 886,853, filed July 18, 1986 (corresponding to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,526,183, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. Typically, in these processes, biological purification of effluent is carried out in activated sludge tanks or bioreactors in the form of towers containing the carriers as solid, fluid or fluidized beds in the form of suspensions which tend to sedimentation (i.e., tend to settle to the bottom of the tank).